Summary
Collecting and storage of foreign books have a long tradition in this town, dating back to 1430, to the court library of Despot Đurađ Branković, which was placed in Smederevo, the last capital of the Serbian medieval state. Until the establishment of this Department as a specific unit within the organizational scheme of the Library, the collection of books in foreign languages was located within the Scientific Department, physically separated from its primary fund. The books were kept in inadequate conditions, with incomplete catalogs and inventory. The Foreign Book Department of the Public Library of Smederevo was opened in 2002, in response to numerous users’ requests for literature in foreign languages. In a short period, thanks to the purchase, donations made by international cultural institutions and citizens, the initial book collection, consisted of a small number of outdated books, reached a rate of 10.000 volumes of contemporary, current library material in 17 foreign languages. Promotional activities and various cultural programs, designed for all categories of users of this Department, increase their number, as well as the amount and complexity of their requirements, from year to year. Within the basic fund there are special collections containing material interesting for children and young teens. Various programs that are being organized here on a regular basis are also intended to them, which in recent years made children and young adults the most numerous visitors of this Department.

Keywords:
the Public Library of Smederevo, public libraries, special collections, books in foreign languages, library services, the Foreign Book Department, work with young adults, cultural programs, international cultural cooperation, multiculturalism.

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